grateful

Follow Day 11 Question, Follow, Faith

Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 1:26-56
Isaiah 55:8-11
1 Corinthians 3:18-23
1 Corinthians 1:20-31

Follow, Day 11

Questions are a part of our worlds. At the restaurant, it is “How may I help you?” At the doctor’s office, it is “What are your concerns today?” In school, it is “What are you learning?” At home, it may be “What’s for dinner?” Or if you have a young toddler it may even be the beloved “Why?” question.

Throughout a day I find myself asking questions often. Sometimes they are to myself and sometimes they are verbalized to others. Occasionally they are rooted in frustration as I try to figure out why I just made a choice I did or what a coworker was thinking in hers.

Most recently I have found myself echoing the toddler’s cry in talking with the Lord as I have asked the “Why” question regarding His timing and plans in my life, especially in light of the reality that is the year 2020.

Oh how grateful I am that the Lord made us to question. We are made in His image and the Lord first introduces His use of questions in Genesis. I believe the Lord welcomes our questions, especially when we are truly seeking to know Him and His character better. For anyone who has been told that asking God questions is a sin I would encourage you to ask the Lord His thoughts on that.

That being said, questioning the Lord CAN lead to sin. They way in which we ask the Lord, our heart postures in the process, and our response to the outcome of our questions are all arenas in which we can find ourselves running rampant in sin. In my own life I have found myself sinning when lashing out at the Lord in my questions and asking the Lord for answers and then rejecting the one I receive because it was not the one I wanted. Questions are a sweet gift the Lord has given to us to build relationship with Him. They are also a solid litmus test for the status of our hearts.

A prime example of a woman who succeeds in questioning the Lord and honoring Him in the process is Mary, the mother of Jesus. I can picture the look on Mary’s face and the tone of her voice as she asks the angel how exactly she, a virgin, would bear a child. This was a childlike inquisitiveness and a subsequent response filled with obedient submission. After asking her question, Mary’s next words accepted the role she would play.

She said yes and began a journey that would simultaneously wreck her life and reward it with life beyond her wildest imagination. Because Mary said yes she experienced earthly rejection; more than likely days of doubt; the battering only a mother’s heart could experience as Jesus Himself grew, faced rejection himself, and ultimately was crucified; and countless other details that could be inferred by imagining her life.

However, at the very onset of the story, as Gabriel, the angel of the Lord, speaks to her, Mary’s ability to follow the Lord’s leading shines through. She asks how this would become reality and her next words were ones of acceptance. Jump ahead a few weeks and Mary’s words have moved from acceptance to thankfulness for the part she would play in this love letter the Lord was writing to the world. Scripture does not show that Mary heard directly from Gabriel again nor were we told that a manual for navigating the upcoming days, weeks, and months was provided for Mary. She accepted her role, celebrated the blessing that it was, and walked closely with the Lord.

Isaiah 55 declares that God’s ways are not our ways. More often than not, His ways require levels of faith that challenge us. Mary was no different. Where Mary stands out from so many of us lies in her posture to say yes and rejoice in all that yes included. How often have I failed to experience the fullness of what the Lord has for me since I refused to say yes, did so with grumbling, drug my feet in obedience, allowed the fear of man to paralyze me, or treated the entire process as a trial to endure rather than an entrustment to find joy in throughout?

Mary demonstrated the effectiveness and freedom of using questions in her relationship with the Lord. She also displayed the beauty of following the Lord with a surrendered and humble heart. She modeled the faith and fortitude required to follow when the path leads into counter-cultural regions, through hard seasons of many kinds, and with rarely more than the next step to take illuminated. I pray that I can live my life with a similar grace, joy, tenacity, and contentment.

Let’s use our questions to draw closer to the One who knows all the details and writes the best stories. Let us also respond well to the answers to those questions, dear sisters, for His glory and our gain. When we follow His guidance, we may just discover immeasurable joy and adventure amidst all the unexpected twists and turns.

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!
Join our Facebook Community!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Follow Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Follow!

The GT Weekend! ~ Sketched VII Week 1

Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Rebecca shared that when she felt called to follow in obedience and begin the ministry of Gracefully Truthful, there was chaos around her in her marriage and family. Sometimes, we get caught in a cycle of waiting for our own predetermined mindset of “the right time” to follow Jesus into something new. We wait for finances to be more stable, or after we settle into a new school or neighborhood, or until our kids are older. Or maybe we use the excuse of having already committed time and service to the church as a reason to pull back and rest. Sift through the reasons you commonly give to the Lord, or your pastor, or others in need. Are these truly from the Lord’s direction or are these just plain excuses to keep you from following where the Lord is calling? Pray over them, seek wise counsel, and commit to trust the Lord’s wisdom over your own!

2) As the ladies of Gracefully Truthful’s Partner team shared pieces of their stories and reasons for joining this ministry to women, what thoughts stir in your own mind? Take time to write those down and reflect on what the Lord may be speaking to you as you walk in your own journey. Where is He calling you to give up comforts and take one more small step in following and obeying? Identify your personal road blocks to going deeper with the Lord. Are they circumstantial? Relational? Monetary? Should anything keep you from following? Pray over these things, knowing with confidence that the Lord is indeed calling you deeper into following Him! Even if that step of following is carving out consistent time to sit and study His Word every day. Every step of obedience takes you farther in your journey with the Lord! Keep moving!

3) Sometimes following Jesus feels like small steps taken almost imperceptibly over a long stretch of time, but during other moments in life, our steps of faithful following seem much bigger, requiring more faith and trust. When you read someone else’s story of a “big yes”, what fears pop up for you? Are you quick to discount that the Lord could ever take you “there”? Are you afraid of what it would mean if He did? Be honest in these wrestling thoughts before the Lord! Take time to write them out and share them transparently with the Father of your heart who always listens! Be confident that the Lord only seeks your consistent obedience one small step at a time. When He leads you into something bigger, He will have well-prepared your heart so that saying a big yes, has already been well-practiced by saying small yesses!

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from John 5:25 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live!

Prayer Journal
Abba, Giver of Life, Sustainer of Life, in You alone is found all for forgiveness and redemption! I’m so grateful beyond words You’ve granted me Your Word freely given, Your Spirit deposited to teach and train my heart, and that You have called me to awake from death to life! Fuel my heart to extend this hope to others, Lord, with my words, my body language, my money, my time, and my relationships. The time to share you with those around me is now! Speak through me that others will hear Your voice, see Your love at work in me, and will hear and respond to Your call to follow as You forgive and free from sin! I praise You for inviting me to be an active participant of calling the dead to life just as You have called me!

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Worship IV, Day 4 Holding Us Together: Digging Deeper

Leave a Comment

Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Holding Us Together!

The Questions

1) How are theses verses tied to the sections before and after it? 
 
2) Was Jesus both created and creator?  
 
3) On what specific facets of Christ does Paul focus his worship?

Colossians 1:15-20

He is the image of the invisible God, 
the firstborn over all creation. 
16 For everything was created by him, 
in heaven and on earth, 
the visible and the invisible, 
whether thrones or dominions 
or rulers or authorities— 
all things have been created through him and for him. 
17 He is before all things, 
and by him all things hold together. 
18 He is also the head of the body, the church; 
he is the beginning, 
the firstborn from the dead, 
so that he might come to have 
first place in everything. 
19 For God was pleased to have 
all his fullness dwell in him, 
20 and through him to reconcile 
everything to himself, 
whether things on earth or things in heaven, 
by making peace 
through his blood, shed on the cross. 

Original Intent

1) How are theses verses tied to the sections before and after it?
A critical component to studying Scripture is learning and re-learning again, and being reminded again, that Scripture was designed to tell one, grand cohesive story and it was originally written without chapters, verses, and the paragraph breaks we find in our copies. It’s easy to think that where we see a bolded heading in our Bibles, it has always been like that, but it hasn’t. This letter was originally written by Paul to deeply encourage and firmly anchor the church at Colossae in the rich knowledge and understanding of Christ that went farther and deeper than an elementary understanding of “Jesus died on the cross to save us.” (Colossians 1:9) We need to see all of it as one letter. Just before Paul begins expanding on the richness of Christ in verses 15-20, he first starts off with deep gratefulness to God as he describes the glorious grace of being given salvation through Jesus. Then Paul pens a beautiful, doctrine rich hymn of Christ as Supreme Being, finishing it out as if with a glorious bookend, describing again the excellencies of reconciliation and peace with God through the precious blood of Christ.

2) Was Jesus both created and creator? 
The wording in verses 15-16 can definitely twist up an English speaking, western culture reader. Which, again, is why understanding the original language and culture is utterly important to correctly understand and apply Scripture in our modern day. The Greek phrasing referencing Christ “the firstborn of all creation” is, get ready for it: “prototokos pases ktiseos”. Don’t you feel cool now (or dope or or lit or whatever kids say these days…)?! This means begotten before all creation, not created before all creation. It denotes all the rights and privileges of being firstborn without actually being ‘born’ first. (Think of Jacob in Genesis who was the second-born twin of Esau, but was given all the rights and privileges just as if he were born first. This is prototokos pases ktiseos). If you were created before creation, the sentence itself is meaningless because you would be created and therefore a part of creation. Rather, this type of phrasing of “before all” is found throughout Scripture to mean “eternity”. Specifically here, eternity before creation. This understanding fits perfectly with the following phrases and descriptions of “all things being created through Him and for Him”. (verses 16-17) Again, “all” really does mean “all”. Angels, dominions, powers, authorities, all created things were created through and for the Lord Jesus Christ. God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit, all equaling the sum total Beings of God, were never created.

3) On what specific facets of Christ does Paul focus his worship?
While there may indeed be more, each of these aspects are profoundly rich, being deep enough to study for a lifetime without ever plumbing their full depths, here are 7 specific facets of Christ Paul addresses:
1> His deity as a member of the triune godhead. 
Pastor Timothy says this about the Lord God, “To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Timothy 1:17) Paul, Timothy’s mentor pastor, says Jesus Christ is the exact image or precise representation of this invisible God. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were “created in the image of God”, but this Jesus who walked and talked and lived among humanity simply is the image of God.  

2> Christ as creator. 
All things were created by Him and for Him. (verse 16) There is nothing made that was not intentionally designed and allowed and held together through Christ.
3> Christ as sustainer. 
In Him all things hold together. (verse 17) Yes, nothing was created without Christ, but one step further, nothing continues to exist without Him holding and sustaining all things. 
4> His supreme authority. 
By being supreme creator of all things, all rulers, all authorities, and all dominions, there simply is no higher authority than that of the Lord Jesus Christ, an authority he shares co-equally with God the Father and God the Spirit. (Philippians 2:9-11)
5> His headship over the church
Being the “head” of the church, doesn’t just mean He holds all authority and we as believers follow only Him. Paul expounds in Ephesians 1:23 that as head of His Bride, the Church, it also means that Christ, who is the fullness of God (verse 19), fills the Church with that very fullness!
6> His authority over resurrection from the dead. 
Just as Christ holds pre-eminence over all of creation, the same is true for the resurrection. Paul isn’t saying Jesus was the first one to rise from the dead, rather He is the only One to rise from the dead by His own power. Because of this powerful resurrection, with victory over death firmly in hand, we have hope for our own resurrection just as He promised. He is the evidence for all who will be resurrected by placing their faith fully in Him. He is the “firstfruit” of the resurrection. (1 Corinthians 15:20)
7> Christ as reconciler and redeemer. 
Verse 20 holds the climaxing purpose of Christ’s coming, which is made possible because of all the reasons Paul has clearly laid out previously. Jesus Christ, Lord of all, Creator of all, authority over all, came to rescue us, a sinful and rebellious people, through the shedding of His precious blood on the cross. (Colossians 1:20)

Everyday Application

1) How are theses verses tied to the sections before and after it? 
Paul takes great delight in detailing out the wonder of our salvation, but one can nearly hear him singing at the top of his lungs with tears running down his face as he declares with incredible awe of the majestic, eternal authority of the Lord Jesus Christ! Our salvation is tied absolutely and inextricably with precisely this description of Jesus. If He is not eternal, if He is not Lord of all, if He is not co-equal with God, if He did not have intentional purpose in creating and sustaining all of life, then He is not able to carry the weight of all sin for all mankind for all eternity. The 2 “bookend” descriptions of salvation that Paul eloquently describes are utterly impossible if they do not hang the entirety of their weight upon the fullness of God the Son, co-equal and co-eternal with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. The fact that Paul began this section with thankfulness begs the question, “are we praising Him in the same way? For the same thing?” When was the last time you stood in absolute stunned awe at the glorious majesty of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit? How worthy He is! How stunning and beautiful our triune God is! Sit with Him, revel in Him, worship Him! Take a pen and paper right now and dwell on His glories! 
 
2) Was Jesus both created and creator?  
The idea of “eternally existing” is incredibly difficult for our minds to comprehend. But when we dig in a little deeper into the meaning and implications of the fullness of Jesus being absolutely eternal, we find solidity and safety, a safe harbor to anchor our souls. Our eternity after death is securely held in the everlasting arms of the Lord & Savior when we surrender to His free gift of grace. Our everyday existence is also seen and intimately known by the One who sees and knows all things. He Himself holds us up with His righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10), sustaining us for His own glory and delight. This is what it is to be cherished! This is what it is to be eternally loved by an endlessly everlasting God Almighty! As Moses said, “The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” (Deuteronomy 33:27)  
 
3) On what specific facets of Christ does Paul focus his worship? 
1> His deity as a member of the triune godhead. 
Through Jesus, we see, touch, feel, sense, and relate to the God of the Universe exactly because He is the image of the Invisible God. Unfathomable! Yet, each day, in every moment, that opportunity exists for you and me through the Holy Spirit! (Hebrews 4:16)  
Our God is always available.  
2> Christ as creator. 
For me, this truth lets me hold fast to peace and lets fear drop effortlessly away. When Christ sees all, knows all, made all, there is nothing left to fear. (Romans 8:31) 
3> Christ as sustainer.  
This truth really puts my own self-proclaimed “authority” to shame. I can’t keep anything together! But Christ. Christ is the eternal sustainer of all things. Knowing He is a good and gracious God, sets my heart to rest in His character and reminds me to turn to Him for big things and the ridiculously small.  
4> His supreme authority.  
It can be easy for us to look around at the visible powers of our nation and our world that we forget Who the true and final Supreme Being is who holds all authority. Don’t let your hearts be troubled, He has overcome this world! (John 14:1) 
5> His headship over the church 
This filling headship translates to our everyday lives as the only source we need for life and godliness as we pursue Christ in the mighty and the mundane. (2 Peter 1:3) He is our fuel, He is our center, He is our divine strength.  
6> His authority over resurrection from the dead.  
With Christ as our Victor over death, we have eternal, incorruptible hope through our death and the deaths of those we love who have trusted Jesus for their own eternities. With Christ as Savior, we are eternally held secure. Not even death shall separate us from His love! (Romans 8:38-39) 
7> Christ as reconciler and redeemer. 
Yes, Christ came as Reconciler and Redeemer to “buy us back” from the grip of Sin and Death, but this gift is not ours simply because we read about it, have heard about it, or grew up in a good family. At birth, we inherit Death and Sin, but Christ offers to buy us back from these fatalities. His offer is extended to you, are you absolutely certain you’ve surrendered everything to Him and His authority? (Romans 6:22-23) 

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Holding Us Together!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Worship IV Week One!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Chase Day 14 Great Lengths: Digging Deeper

Leave a Comment

Digging Deeper Days...are a pretty big deal at GT!

We search God's Word together, ask questions as we read, dig around to find the original intentions at the time of writing, and then make some applications to our everyday lives.
Along the way, we hope you'll pick up some new tools to study Scripture and you'll see truth in a new and accessible way!
Dig In!

The Passage

Looking for yesterday’s
Journey Study?
Check out Great Lengths!

Psalm 113 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
    praise the name of the Lord!

2 Blessed be the name of the Lord
    from this time forth and forevermore!
3 From the rising of the sun to its setting,
    the name of the Lord is to be praised!

4 The Lord is high above all nations,
    and his glory above the heavens!
5 Who is like the Lord our God,
    who is seated on high,
6 who looks far down
    on the heavens and the earth?
7 He raises the poor from the dust
    and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
8 to make them sit with princes,
    with the princes of his people.
9 He gives the barren woman a home,
    making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the Lord!

The Questions

1) What sections is this psalm broken into?

2) What does it mean to “bless the Lord”?

3) Are verses 7-9 a promise that everyone who is poor or barren will gain wealth or children?

The Findings for Intention

1) What sections is this psalm broken into?
Psalms are poetic and largely employ a various number of literary techniques in their composition. Their main goal, other than to emotionally relate to God, was to give God’s people a songbook that was rich with God’s character traits to remind them who He was to them, and who they were to Him. Psalm 113 is broken into 3 sections with one main theme. Its overarching theme is adoration for God, which is noted like bookends at both the beginning and end of the song. The first section leans into the theme of praise, reminding us to praise God at all times, both from a big picture perspective (“beginning of time and forever more”), as well as the regular, everyday part of our lives (“from the rising of the sun, to its setting”). Section two is from verses 4-6 and focuses on 1 of 2 reasons given for why we praise God, which is simply because of who He is as the all-powerful, all-knowing, all-seeing Lord of All! The final section is found in verses 7-9, which give a second reason for praising God; His intimate interaction with humanity. The paradox is incredible! The Ruler of all creation, who Himself sits “high above” all nations, is intimately acquainted with every detail of our lives, and moves and acts for our benefit!

2) What does it mean to “bless the Lord”?
The idea of “blessing the Lord” is extremely common in the psalms, but also found in other places in Scripture too. It’s the idea of intentionally choosing to bring God the worship of your heart. This psalm in particular focuses on the timing of bringing that gift of worship, noting that the Lord is worthy of our worship regardless of our circumstances, emotions, relationships, or social status. We are always His beloved and He will always be worthy of our adoration.

3) Are verses 7-9 a promise that everyone who is poor or barren will gain wealth or children?
In a word, no. 🙂  When we read verses like these, it’s extremely important to keep context and purpose in mind to understand the intention of the words. The psalm only calls out two distinct circumstances, poverty and barrenness, but these would have ranked quite high on the list of “desperate needs” for people of that culture. It’s also important to note that the psalmist is calling on the lowest people of society and joyfully declaring the truth that God sees even them.

The Everyday Application

1) What sections is this psalm broken into?
The paradox in this psalm is incredible! The Ruler of all creation, who Himself sits “high above all nations”, is intimately acquainted with every detail of our lives, and moves and acts for our benefit! Sometimes, we find it honestly hard to praise God, both in big things (like cancer, death, or a broken relationship) and in small things (cheerios all over the floor, dirty socks left by the laundry basket, legos on the floor, or being late). But this psalm reminds us that God is God of all things big and small, and is present in every moment, no matter its significance. Next time you’re stressed and ready to worry or cry or get angry, remember who your God is and who you are to him: precious and deeply loved!

2) What does it mean to “bless the Lord”?
Job, who was extremely wealthy and successful lost everything and everyone dear to him, yet he chose to “bless the Lord”, realizing that God was still worthy of praise, despite how he felt and what he had lost. (Job 1:21) What are your circumstances in this moment? Whether they are extreme on one end or the other of the “happy” scale, or you’re content somewhere in the middle, now is the time to bless and worship Him! Sad? Worship Him. Angry? Worship Him. Giddy? Worship Him. Excited? Worship Him. Worship calls us away from our incessant desire to focus intently on ourselves and our pace of life, and shifts our heart to a place of peace, of quiet, of straightening of priorities as we gaze on the glories of our Maker! Try it! You won’t be disappointed!

3) Are verses 7-9 a promise that everyone who is poor or barren will gain wealth or children?
When studying the Bible, we should take care to always ask 3 questions. What does this passage teach me about God, about His people as a whole, and finally, about myself? A biblically accurate takeaway would be for us to see that because God’s character is benevolent and kind, He sees our biggest needs, and moves to care for us. Far from being promises of monetary and physical prosperity, the intention of these verses is to point to a God who sees every unique situation and circumstance. He sees every longing of our heart and has the highest regard for every single person, whether male or female, black or white, CEO or a blue-collar worker or a homeless man on the corner. No situation and no person is unknown or unseen to the Lord God! Walk confidently today, knowing that your God sees you and knows you, values you, and is working for your good!

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!
Join the friends at the GT Facebook Community!

I Can Do That!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read through it (always more than a verse or two).
3) Write down your questions as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God in your everyday!

The Community!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into
Chase Week Three!
Don’t miss out on the discussion. 
We’d love to hear your thoughts!

The Tools!

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources.  Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom! It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

The Why!

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus.
Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
See all past studies in Chase!

Worship II Day 10 Finding Life

1 Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 36:5-12
Psalm 95
Mark 4:1-20
Philippians 2:12-13
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

There’s something about autumn days that makes my heart glad. Along with its vivid colors that emerge everywhere this time of year, I’m also rejuvenated by the constant messages of how important it is to maintain a thankful heart. Even in the midst of the greed in our nation, many Americans take the opportunity during this season to express their gratefulness to God for their abundance.

If you have attended a US church service during November, you may have sung the hymn written by Henry Alford, “Come Ye Thankful People Come”. It’s often sung during the Thanksgiving season as a song of praise to God for a bountiful harvest. However, there is a much deeper truth that I had never noticed until I meditated on the words of all the verses. The message of the song causes us to consider whether we are sincerely thankful people of God (wheat) or are only going through the motions (tares/weeds). If we’re redeemed, our thankfulness should not be limited to a prayer we voice at an annual family gathering.

Come, ye thankful people, come, raise the song of harvest home.
All is safely gathered in, ere the winter storms begin.
God our Maker doth provide for our wants to be supplied;
Come to God’s own temple, come, raise the song of harvest home.

I seldom use the word, but I am quite sure that a “bountiful” yield would have great impact on those who work the land all summer, hoping for an abundant crop to provide for them through the winter. These words invite us into the celebration of the gatherers.
I didn’t grow up day to day with much of a harvester mentality, though my grandfather was quite a gardener. I have fond memories of my childhood visits with my grandparents during the summer. Before we ate, they always bowed and thanked God for the “good garden”.
Oh come…Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise … let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! (Psalm 95:1-6)
Our Creator Father invites us to daily feast on His goodness and the provision of salvation. He has supplied us with all we need for our souls to be filled.

Come, thankful people.
Come to Jesus … and live.

All the world is God’s own field, fruit as praise to God we yield;
wheat and tares together sown are to joy or sorrow grown;
first the blade and then the ear, then the full corn shall appear;
Lord of harvest, grant that we wholesome grain and pure may be.

Even the farmer doesn’t fully grasp the mystery of gardening. Jesus spoke about this process in a parable: “This is what the kingdom of God is like…” (Mark 4:26-29)

Jesus said that His kingdom is like a worker who plants the seed and waits for the produce. Ultimately, our sovereign God works in the heart of man to produce people who reflect His glory. We can’t fully comprehend this.

While I wait for His return, He continues the work of making me pure.
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12-13)
He is working in us in ways we can’t see, making us like His Son.

Come, thankful people.
Come to Jesus … and live.

For the Lord our God shall come, and shall take the harvest home.
From the field shall in that day all offenses purge away,
giving angels charge at last in the fire the tares to cast;
but the fruitful ears to store in the garner evermore.

Even so, Lord, quickly come, bring thy final harvest home.
Gather Thou Thy people in, free from sorrow, free from sin.
There, forever purified, in Thy presence to abide.
Come, with all Thine angels, come, raise the glorious harvest home.

If there’s anything that should cause the people of God to come with thankful hearts in worship, it’s the promise that He’s preparing a place for us. One day, the Son will return for His bride and the Church of Christ will make its home with Him forever. We will live eternally in a place where nothing will hide His glory or goodness. But with this good news is the reality that for those who do not put the full weight of their hope in Jesus, it will not be glorious.
Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace…Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” (Matthew 13:40-43)

The reality is that there will be a day of separation.
So, it is with grateful hearts that we fall on Jesus – the Way, the Truth and the Life.
He will gather the redeemed to Himself forever.

Come, thankful people.
Come to Jesus … and live.

Ready for more? Dig Deeper!
Join us for every Journey Study by signing up!
Looking for yesterday’s Journey Study?
Share your thoughts from today’s Study!

Don’t miss today’s Digging Deeper!     And we’d love to hear your thoughts from today’s Journey!    Comment Here!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Worship Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Worship II!

Adoring Day 15
The Overflow of Adoration

Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Corinthians 5:18-6:10
2 Corinthians 2:15
Jude 1:20-23
Leviticus 2:11-13 

Nothing blows me away and sinks into my heart quite like the uniqueness of generosity.
Especially when I know how much it cost the giver.

Last December, my 6 year-old daughter came home from Store Night at Awana, a club where she learns Bible verses and core biblical truths. For every verse she memorizes, she earns a “buck”. She walked into Store Night with a pocket full of 20 bucks and an excited twinkle in her eye. Later, after much debating on what to buy, she rushed home to show me her treasures. A plastic ring for her sister, a car for her brother, a candy for her other brother, candy for her other sister, a sucker for herself, and a tea light candle holder with a Bible verse on it….for me.

My heart ached from exploding. Why would she buy me something? These were her bucks, she’d waited months for Store Night and worked so hard to earn them.
With teary-eyes, I held her close and told her thank you as her own eyes lit up with delight.
Then the price tag caught my eye.
$10
And tears flowed as my heart broke with love.
She had spent half of her earnings on me and got herself a sucker.

I looked at my daughter, who glowed with giddy happiness at buying me something, and I felt like I was touching a piece of Heaven.
I couldn’t pay her back.
I couldn’t give her more “bucks” or do a single thing to return this favor.
It was priceless.
And I caught God’s view of generous living as I kissed my girl’s sweet cheeks.

The generosity He shows us is boundless.
His kindness, His compassion, His forgiveness, grace, comfort, and love, are everyday reminders of it, but the greatest outpouring is found in the gift of His own Son.
See, He spent all He had when His Beloved hung naked on a tree,
taking the punishment He hadn’t earned.
We can’t pay Him back.
It’s priceless.
His blood is precious.
And the more we lean into that gift and see just how priceless it is, the more often we will find our hearts adoring Him.
And the more we adore, the easier it is to extend His embrace, by giving it away.
I read an interesting verse today in my time with Jesus.
“You are to season each of your grain offerings with salt;
you must not omit…the salt of the covenant.” (Lev 2:13)

Um, what?!
Yes, this is a tiny rule that applied to Old Testament Israelites about sacrifices, but the why is what made me curious. We all know salt is a preservative, and in biblical times, a “salt covenant” meant that the agreement would not end. In Middle Eastern culture, sharing a meal together was also a critical part of entering into a salt covenant because it meant that a deep sense of friendship was involved. The covenant was more than just a contract that couldn’t be retracted; it was about an intimate friendship being preserved as well.
The Grain Offering for the Israelites? It was a “meal” between God and the priests. The portion that was to be burned up for God was only a handful, the rest of the offering was given to the priest as their portion of the “meal”.
The covenant between God and Israel was a “salt covenant”; it couldn’t be broken.
And it was much more than a contract; it represented a restored relationship, a mutual friendship.

But wait, there’s more!
After Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and all of these Levitical offerings were no longer needed, the idea of salt remained. I promise this has a tieback into generosity, bear with me! 🙂
In Colossians 4:6, Paul is in the middle of talking about various relationships (marriages, workplace, fellow Christians, and unbelievers), and he concludes by urging everyone to allow their conversations to be seasoned with salt, no matter who they are talking to or interacting with.
Our lives are meant to reflect that original “salt covenant”!

A covenant we couldn’t possibly keep because of our sin,
so God keeps it for us by His grace.
A grace we are called to extend to everyone within our reach.
“Don’t omit the salt.”
It’s a covenant of deep friendship, a friendship we are to invite others into.
“Don’t omit the salt.”

We’ve looked at so many ways and reasons to give Adoration to the Lord in this series, but the one that honors Him most, is the one that overflows onto others. As we bring praise to the King, look deep into His heart, get wrapped up in His love, stand in amazement at His grace and goodness, His intention is that our conclusion is to give ourselves away.
By sharing grace.
By inviting others in.
By not omitting the salt.

God doesn’t need our adoration;
He wants us to see Him for who He is
so that it motivates us to extend His grace to everyone around us.

My daughter’s generosity affected me so deeply because I knew there was no way to repay her.
The gift God gave us by restoring our relationship with Him is one we could never repay.
And because it was so precious,
I want to give it away just as He gave to me.

Ready for more? Dig Deeper!
Join us for every Journey Study by signing up!
Looking for yesterday’s Journey Study?
Share your thoughts from today’s Study!

Don’t miss today’s Digging Deeper!     And we’d love to hear your thoughts from today’s Journey!    Comment Here!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Adoration Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

Looking for other journeys from this theme? Here’s a link to all past studies in Adoring!

Adoring Day 4
Thankfulness Is Not… Digging Deeper

Leave a Comment

Digging Deeper Days...are a pretty big deal at GT!

We search God's Word together, ask questions as we read, dig around to find the original intentions at the time of writing, and then make some applications to our everyday lives.
Along the way, we hope you'll pick up some new tools to study Scripture and you'll see truth in a new and accessible way!
Dig In!

The Passage

Looking for yesterday’s Journey Post? Check out Thankfulness Is Not…

Psalm 118:5-9, 28-29 English Standard Version (ESV)

5 Out of my distress I called on the Lord;
the Lord answered me and set me free.
6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
7 The Lord is on my side as my helper;
I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in man.
9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes.

28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
you are my God; I will extol you.
29 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!

The Questions

1) What response does the Psalmist say he gets when he calls upon the Lord?

2) What rhetorical question does the Psalmist ask?

3) In verses 6-9, what point is the Psalmist trying to make?

The Findings for Intention

1) What response does the Psalmist say he gets when he calls upon the Lord?Sometimes there isn’t a need to look beyond what is on the page. It is written clearly and even finding the “original” intent would not give deeper insight. The Psalmist has the awareness of His God. He trusts in the solid truth that when he calls on God, the Lord will answer and set him free. The circumstances of the trial did not end, but reliance and trust in the Lord gives freedom from the distress of a situation or trial.

2) What rhetorical question does the Psalmist ask?
“What can man do to me?” is asked by the Psalmist. This particular question is asked at least two other times in Scripture, in Psalm 56 and Hebrews 13. In all three contexts the question is asked in comparing God to man. If God is on our side, then what could this world and the persons of this world possibly do to me or give to me that would surpass my relationship with the Lord.

3) In verses 6-9, what point is the Psalmist trying to make?
The Psalmist is making a series of comparison statements between taking refuge in the Lord and trusting in the world or the rulers of the world. The writer is secure in his knowledge that God is indeed his helper and deserves full confidence because of His ability to offer refuge to those who trust Him. By the end of the Psalm, he is secure and thankful that God endures!

The Everyday Application

1) What response does the Psalmist say he gets when he calls upon the Lord?
In times of trial and tribulation God simply asks that we trust. He asks that we trust that He is able, He is present, and most important He is in control. Our faith, our trust in Lord, isn’t dependent on circumstance. Actually, what we find here in Psalm 118 is that in the deepest of distress, the one place that we can turn is to the Lord. The Psalmist expresses his distress but is singing songs of thanksgiving because he is aware that God is able, good, and steadfast despite the distress.

2) What significance does the rhetorical question have for my life?
The Lord gives protection to those who put their trust in Him. Does it mean that life doesn’t happen? No, quite the opposite. It means life happens, maybe even more so, but in the midst of life, we can know beyond a shadow of doubt that there is something more. This world will offer tribulation and turmoil, but in Christ, and Him alone, we can find peace in midst of personal war. (John 16:33)

3) In verses 6-9, what point is the Psalmist trying to make?
The world we live in would like us to believe that it has the best and brightest options for whatever we need. If it is peace, it can give it. If we are looking for money, they have it. If we need a fix of just about anything, the world is ready and willing to help us out. The problem is that nothing the world has to offer is of eternal value. As believers, God desires us to follow Him first and foremost and when we do that, giving ourselves fully in pursuit of Him, the perishable things of this world are no match for the imperishable inheritance found in Christ. We can be thankful in the midst of trial and tribulation, joy and sorrow because we serve a God that his steadfast love endures forever and circumstances don’t change that!

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!

I Can Do That!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read through it (always more than a verse or two).
3) Write down your questions as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God in your everyday!

The Community!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Adoring Week One!
Don’t miss out on the discussion – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

The Tools!

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources.  Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom! It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

The Why!

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus.
Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
See all past studies in Adoring!